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Salmos 21

ARC · Chapter 21/150

1O rei se alegra em tua força, Senhor; e na tua salvação grandemente se regozija.

2Cumpriste-lhe o desejo do seu coração, e não negaste as supplicas dos seus labios (Selah).

3Pois o prevines das bençãos de bondade; pões na sua cabeça uma corôa d'oiro fino

4Vida te pediu, e lh'a déste, mesmo longura de dias para sempre e eternamente.

5Grande é a sua gloria pela tua salvação; gloria e magestade pozeste sobre elle.

6Pois o abençoaste para sempre: tu o enches de gozo com a tua face.

7Porque o rei confia no Senhor, e pela misericordia do Altissimo nunca vacillará.

8A tua mão alcançará todos os teus inimigos, a tua mão direita alcançará aquelles que te aborrecem.

9Tu os farás como um forno de fogo no tempo da tua ira; o Senhor os devorará na sua indignação, e o fogo os consumirá.

10Seu fructo destruirás da terra, e a sua semente d'entre os filhos dos homens.

11Porque intentaram o mal contra ti; machinaram uma trapaça, mas não prevalecerão.

12Portanto tu lhes farás voltar as costas; e com tuas frechas postas nas cordas lhes apontarás ao rosto.

13Exalta-te, Senhor, na tua força; então cantaremos e louvaremos o teu poder.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In contrast with the previous psalm (a prayer before battle), this is a song of thanksgiving after victory, celebrating the blessings God granted the king and foreseeing the total defeat of his enemies.

Explanation

Forming a pair with Psalm 20, this text celebrates the fulfillment of the previous prayer: the king received long life, glory, and victory over his enemies. The mention of a 'crown of pure gold' and of 'length of days for ever and ever' suggests language that, over time, came to be read messianically — not only about an earthly king, but about an eternal reign that Christian tradition associates with Christ. The practical application: publicly celebrating God's answers is spiritually just as important as asking for them.

Fun facts

  • The phrase 'length of days for ever and ever' (v.4) is a common poetic exaggeration in ancient Near Eastern royal texts wishing long life to a monarch, similar to formulas used in Egyptian and Mesopotamian inscriptions.
  • This psalm, together with the previous one, likely formed part of a two-part ritual: a prayer before war (Psalm 20) and a thanksgiving after victory (Psalm 21).

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 21:1If Psalm 20 was a plea for the king's victory, this one opens already celebrating: the king is filled with joy over the strength and the salvation he received from God.
  2. Salmos 21:2It confirms that the earlier request was answered completely: neither his heart's deepest desire nor the request spoken aloud went unanswered.
  3. Salmos 21:3Placing a crown on the king's head was the very act of coronation; here it is God who performs this gesture, showing that the king's royalty comes directly from divine approval, not merely from a human ceremony.
  4. Salmos 21:4The king's request for life was answered in an extravagant way: not just life, but days extending forever, a hyperbole of praise typical of this kind of royal psalm.
  5. Salmos 21:5It attributes all the king's glory and majesty directly to God's salvation, making clear that the honor he received was not born of his own conquest.
  6. Salmos 21:6It describes the king's joy as something that comes straight from God's presence, the same "countenance" language used in other psalms to speak of divine favor.
  7. Salmos 21:7It explains the basis of such security: the king's trust rests in God, and it's this relationship, sustained by mercy, that guarantees he will never be shaken.
  8. Salmos 21:8The tone shifts toward the enemies: the same hand that protects the king is described as reaching, without exception, all who hate him.
  9. Salmos 21:9Comparing the punishment of enemies to a blazing oven was a common image of total destruction in the ancient world, the same kind of language found in other Near Eastern texts describing the fury of victorious kings over defeated enemies.
  10. Salmos 21:10It describes a complete destruction, which in the war language of the time included even the enemy's offspring, so that the threat would not repeat itself later.
  11. Salmos 21:11It explains the reason for the punishment: the enemies plotted a wicked scheme against God Himself, and the psalm assures that this scheme will not succeed.
  12. Salmos 21:12It's the image of an archer taking aim right at the face of the enemy who is fleeing, not a surprise blow from behind, but a decisive, head-on victory with no chance of retaliation.
  13. Salmos 21:13The psalm closes asking that God Himself be exalted in His strength, promising that the people's response will be to sing and praise that power.

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